


valenbrine's day

by fishliners



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alcohol, Bulges and Nooks (Homestuck), Choking, Cross-Species Impregnation, First Time, Gills, Impregnation, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:40:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29258334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishliners/pseuds/fishliners
Summary: Valentine's Day has never been the most pleasant holiday for neither Dave Strider nor Eridan Ampora. This year might change things for the unlikely pair of roommates.
Relationships: Eridan Ampora/Dave Strider
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	valenbrine's day

Valentine’s Day is annoying. For Dave Strider, the holiday seems to only bring up memories of years and years of missed opportunities, potential romances that will never be because he had never come to accept his sexuality until he was neck-deep in an apocalyptic video game with aliens and sentient chess pieces. Even now, settled onto a new Earth, he still feels immense regret over not being able to live out his glory days with some boyfriend, getting up to no good in the back of a movie theater, sneaking out of his apartment in the middle of the night. At this point, he’s given up on all of that, deciding to live out the bachelor’s life in an apartment with...

Yeah. _Him_. Eridan Ampora. The guy who had basically nowhere else to go when they had created this new universe. The other trolls had no interest in putting up with even more of his bullshit, but there seemed to be a consensus behind closed doors. Someone should keep an eye on him. Just in case. Dave volunteered.

It honestly had been going better than Dave had expected. Eridan seemed to be a bit of a recluse, primarily staying in his room. He came out every now and then for a meal, and the conversation wasn’t half-bad. It typically consisted of Eridan probing Dave with various questions, stiff in their delivery and occasionally stammered over, the stumbling only complicated by Eridan’s wavering accent. It all made sense when Dave did some unannounced cleaning in Eridan’s room, coming across _101 Icebreakers and Conversation Starters_. Eridan went nuclear on Dave for a good twenty minutes after that intrusion of personal privacy, but it gave Dave a new appreciation for his ornery roommate. Eridan was trying. But trying can only go so far.

Dave is woken from his impromptu nap on the living room couch by a loud thump. And another thump. Another. A crash. All from Eridan’s room. Dave rolls his eyes, but he gets up from the couch regardless, heading over to Eridan’s room. He knocks on the door, and, without waiting for a response, cracks the door open, peering in.

“Eridan? The fuck’s going on in here?” Dave asks, unable to make anything out. The only light is the dull, red glow of neon numbers on a clock. Dave opens the door wider, allowing light from the hallway to flood into the room. The room is an absolute disaster. Trash litters the floor, spilled out from an askew garbage bin near Eridan’s desk. The sheets of his bed have been ripped off, thrown into a haphazard pile in the middle of the room. Shards of glass are littered near his feet at the doorway, his shoes standing in a puddle of whiskey. A handle of liquor is spilt on his desk.

“Pi-piss off, Dave,” Eridan stammers, his voice muffled. It comes from inside the lump of sheets and blankets.

“Jesus Christ,” Dave sighs, stepping over the shards of glass and into the room. He makes his way to the mass of fabric and wool, slowly peeling layers off.

“I said to get out!” Eridan cries, shoving the last blankets off and grabbing Dave by the collar of his shirt.

Dave can finally get a good look at Eridan, and he’s in even worse shape than his room. His glasses are shattered, and the eyes behind them are full of tears. His cheeks are wet with previous tears, and his lip is furiously quivering as he tries his best to hold it together in a faux intimidation stance. Runny mucus coats his philtrum, slightly reflecting the light from the hallway.

“Eridan…” Dave can feel his heart sink to his stomach. Sure, he’d taken the piss out of Eridan before, and he’d dealt with some of his diva moments here and there. But this... This was something else entirely.

“What do you want from me?” Eridan cries, chest shaking with the sob. “To laugh at me?”

Without the blankets in the way, Dave can hear just how scratchy and warbly Eridan’s voice is. He’s drunk, that much is clear. Not hammered, Dave doesn’t think. Seadwellers have wicked metabolism, from what he remembers reading. But this... It’s definitely something. 

“No, no, Jesus Christ, calm down, Eridan,” Dave quickly replies, raising his hands up by his sides as if to show he isn’t carrying a gun or chainsaw. “I was worried about you. Thought I’d come in and check. You’re my roommate, and shit, so I didn’t want... I dunno, I was, I mean, I was hoping there wasn’t something serious going on but I can tell—”

“Just shut up!” Eridan cries, throwing Dave back against the floor. “If I fuckin’ wanted help, wouldn’t I have asked for it?”

“No, you wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t,” Dave says, sitting back up. He shifts closer to Eridan, gently moving a hand to rest on Eridan’s knee. “But you need it right now. I’d feel pretty scummy if I just let you wallow here in booze for the whole night, so here. Lay it all on me. Get it out of your system. Fuckin’ hit me, throw me, yell whatever you want, just get it out.”

Dave knew what it was like to bottle it up. To try and keep a calm, unflinching composure, no matter the circumstances. To pretend like nothing fazed him. Years and years and years of holding it all in had taken a toll on him. The last thing he wanted was for others to suffer the same fate.

Eridan raises a fist, only to weakly bring it down onto Dave’s chest, gripping his shirt. He slumps forward, burying his face in Dave’s chest. His own chest begins to rise and fall rapidly, Dave’s shirt muffling the ensuing wails. He manages to pull his head back, and Dave can see the fresh tears cascading down Eridan’s soft face. His body continues to shake, and Dave can tell it’s hyperventilation at work. Hell, even the gills on Eridan’s neck start to open and close rapidly. It’s interesti—

“Hrkh!” Eridan gasps, collapsing onto the ground. His hands reach up to his neck, clutching at his throat.

 _It’s killing him_.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Dave rambles, scooping Eridan up off the floor. 

_Gotta act fast._

Dave hurries over the debris strewn across Eridan’s room, flashstepping through their apartment and into the kitchen. He holds Eridan’s head in the sink and turns on the tap. Water pours down onto Eridan’s neck, hitting the left set of gills. Eridan sputters, but Dave can see the water flowing down into the gills. Grasping for the nearby stopper, Dave plugs up the kitchen sink, allowing water to fill the sink. All the while, he holds Eridan’s head in place, pinning his shaking body between himself and the kitchen counter. Eventually, Eridan’s head is fully submerged, and Dave turns the tap off. 

Eridan doesn’t fight back. Even as his chest slows down and he catches his breath once more, he never pushes back or tries to throw Dave off. He’s docile and soft in Dave’s hold. The tranquility worries Dave for a second, until another slow rise and fall of Eridan’s chest confirms that no, he’s not dead. Eventually, Dave pulls Eridan up from the sink, turning Eridan to face him. Eridan’s glasses fell off during the dip in the sink, and the water managed to wash the mucus from his face. With his entire head dripping wet, there’s no clear streaks of tears either. His typically prissy hairstyle has been replaced with a wet mop of hair going every which way. Under different circumstances, Dave may have been struck by Eridan’s intense beauty.

Okay, he’s still a _little_ struck by the intense beauty. But there are more important matters at hand.

“Are you okay? Do you need help? Who should I call? I don’t even fucking know what to ask, I just thought you were—”

“‘m fine,” Eridan mutters, his eyes reduced to squinting without his glasses. After a few seconds, he steps forward, wrapping his arms around Dave and pulling him into a hug. “Thank you.”

The hug genuinely catches Dave off-guard. Such a display of emotion from Eridan... It's unusual. But it's probably just some bad combination of drunkenness and coming off the heels of a near-death experience. Regardless, Dave’s heart races in his chest, barely even registering how wet Eridan is and how wet he himself is getting. Instead, he wraps his arms around Eridan in return, holding him close.

“Of course. Can’t have my apartment smelling like dead fish.”

Eridan laughs.

An honest to God laugh.

It starts off as a snicker, bubbling over into a deep laugh. Dave’s never heard it before, and it immediately brings some warmth into his chest. It’s smooth and rich, a genuinely beautiful laugh. Eridan’s chest shakes against Dave’s, and Dave worries about another bout of hyperventilation. However, the laugh soon subsides, and Eridan catches his breath once more. He breaks the hug, stepping back to lean against the counter.

“Holy shit, I don’t know why that one got me so much. It was fuckin’ terrible, Christ.”

“Don’t care, it counts. Tallying it up in the ‘Cute-Ass Laugh at Dumbass Joke’ table for a grand total of one.”

Eridan sighs, shaking his head slightly. “I’m sorry, Dave.”

“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong, dude.”

“I’m just a complete fuckin’ mess. A burden. I can move out—”

“Nope, not happening,” Dave replies. He steps forward, placing his hands on Eridan’s shoulders. “I want to be here for you. And if you don’t want me to, too bad. I’ll be there. Like a remora on your big sharky ass, sucking off all your problems, all that pent-up anger and frustration. You can’t outswim me, Ampora.”

Eridan shakes his head again, but Dave can tell he’s trying not to smile. “I don’t deserve that.”

“First of all, yeah, you do. We’ve all gone through a bunch of shit, we deserve each other. Second of all, I couldn’t care less about what you ‘deserve’ when you clearly _need_ someone.”

“Someone to make sure I don’t blow up? Isn’t that why you’re doin’ this in the first place?” Eridan grumbles, looking away from Dave.

“God, you aren’t making this easy on me.” Dave sighs, giving Eridan’s shoulders a squeeze. “That might have been why they put me up, but I don’t give a shit about what they want. You need someone just like I need someone. You went through a lot of terrible shit on your planet and in the game, and I did too. We can... Fuck, this sounds sappy, but you’ve forced my hand, Ampora. We can be each other’s someone.”

Eridan shoves Dave back, letting out a frustrated groan. “I can’t fuckin’ do this! I see someone offerin’ even an ounce a’ compassion an’ suddenly I’m just askin’ myself if there’s somethin’ more than there actually is. An’ it’s fuckin’ Valentine’s Day, so that problem is only—”

“Eridan. Shut up.” Dave’s voice is firm as he steps forward again, now placing his hands on Eridan’s hips. “You’re bad at reading people. It’s okay. That’s not some cardinal sin that means you’re suddenly the worst person to ever live or some shit, it just makes you... Kinda a trainwreck, if we’re being real here.”

“Thanks,” Eridan grumbles.

“Let me finish,” Dave says. “You’re doing what’s important, really. You’re trying your ass off to improve yourself, even if it’s tough. You’ve kinda overcorrected your path by not talking to people and shutting yourself in for most of the time, but it means you know you need to work shit out, yeah?”

“I... I suppose, yes.”

“So, you aren’t terrible. You don’t need to beat yourself up over it. And besides…” Dave pauses. He tilts his head slightly, a soft smirk tugging at his lips as he reaches forward to brush wet hair from Eridan’s face. “I kinda like trainwrecks.”

Eridan looks back up at Dave, biting his lip. “You better not be shittin’ me here, Strider.”

“Nah, I ain’t. I really do like you, dude. That conversation-starter book, the little small talk you make over dinner, it’s cute as hell. Watching you flare up like an embarrassed grape, that’s cute too.”

Eridan tries to look away again, but Dave catches the rush of blood to his face. His cheeks and fins tinge with a deep violet, blushing at Dave’s remarks. 

“See, there’s the cute embarrassment at work. Don’t try and hide it from me, Ampora,” Dave says, bringing a hand to Eridan’s chin. He tilts Eridan’s head up, making eye contact from behind his shades. “I’ll go _Moby-Dick_ on your ass to catch you looking all flustered, so don’t even try.”

“It’s just the alcohol, that’s all.”

“You and I both know that shit’s already metabolized outta your weird fish blood by now. Now just shut up and accept the compliments before you piss me off and make me strike ‘em from the congressional record here.”

“Fine,” Eridan sighs. “So,” Eridan pauses, and Dave can tell there’s some internal struggle going on in his mind. Eventually, Eridan makes his decision, completing his thought. “Is this you askin’ me out then?”

“Oh my God, dude, if I came onto you any harder, you’d need a towel to clean it all off. Now, shut up.”

Dave musters up whatever courage he can and leans forward, pressing his lips against Eridan’s in the first non-SBURB kiss of his life. It’s messy and uncoordinated, and Dave can tell Eridan’s never done this either, not that it’s some shocking revelation. Their lips mash together, each one occasionally getting their teeth involved. He runs his hands up Eridan’s back, planting one on the small of Eridan’s back while the other moves up to the back of Eridan’s head. Dave pushes his body forward, inadvertently grinding the bulge in his pants up against the growing bulge in Eridan’s and further pinning Eridan against the kitchen counter. Dave can feel Eridan’s hands tracing down his back, until they’re rooted on his ass, squeezing at it through his jeans. The sensation goes straight to his dick, twitching against Eridan’s bulge. Their hips grind together in a frenzy, until Dave is pulling back to catch his breath.

“You good?” Dave asks, reaching up to touch his lips. They’re bleeding, but he doesn’t mind. Hell, the prickling sensation on his lower lip feels good.

Eridan seems to be assessing the damage on his end as well, running a hand through his hair and adjusting his pants. He nods, stepping forward. “Real good. You?”

Dave closes the distance, before flashstepping behind Eridan. He quickly places one hand on Eridan’s back and his other arm behind Eridan’s knees, toppling him over into a bridal carry. “If you try to claw at me and insist on walking, I’m dropping you on your head.”

“Fine, fine,” Eridan grumbles. Dave can tell it’s a half-hearted protest.

_Does Eridan Ampora like being carried?_

Dave has half a mind to ask, but he decides to quit while he’s ahead, beginning to carry Eridan back to his bedroom.

“Hold on, hold on,” Eridan interrupts, stopping Dave in his tracks. “Swing by my room, I need to grab my spare glasses. Made a shitload in the game in case they broke or I lost ‘em.”

Dave obliges, figuring it’d probably be a more enjoyable experience for Eridan if everything wasn’t a massive blur of colors. He sets Eridan down outside his room. A few moments later, and Eridan is back, a fresh pair of obnoxious hipstery glasses perched on his nose. He stands in place, giving Dave a look.

“What’s the magic word?” Dave teases.

“Oh, fuck off, I’m not beggin’ you to haul me around like some fairytale princess.”

“Wow, I can’t believe you got it. Thought for sure that’d be unbreakable.” Dave picks Eridan back up, and they head to Dave’s bedroom.

Dave lays Eridan out on the bed, careful in his movements, before turning his attention to himself. He reaches down to the hem of his shirt, pulling it off and over his head. He can hear Eridan let out a soft “ _holy shit_ ” under his breath, and he tries his best to not let it go to his head. Years and years of training with his brother and fighting in the game left him with a surprisingly toned body underneath his baggy clothes. He quickly works off his shoes, socks, and jeans, creating a messy pile of discarded clothing. Left in just his briefs, leaving little to the imagination as they cling to the outline of his cock, he clambers onto the bed to find Eridan has stripped off most of his clothes as well. 

“Holy shit to you too,” Dave mutters, hands immediately moving to trace over Eridan’s body. He supposes it shouldn’t have been too surprising, given how much time Eridan probably spent swimming around the seas of Alternia. A swimmer’s body for a swimming troll, checks out. Dave’s hands continue to drift down to Eridan’s boxers, and, testing the waters, Dave softly grasps the outline of a bulge with a hand.

“Fuck,” Eridan gasps, closing his eyes as he grinds up into Dave’s touch. The desperation and desire painted on his face does wonders on Dave, and his own cock twitches and strains against his briefs. It gives Dave an idea.

Dave straddles Eridan, pressing his upper body against Eridan’s and pushing himself down into another kiss. Meanwhile, he begins to frantically grind downward against Eridan. His cock strains against his briefs, and Dave finally manages to work his hips and make contact with Eridan’s own bulge. Dave closes his eyes behind his shades, seeing stars at the intense, pleasurable friction of their lengths frotting through the thin layers. Dave keeps up the pace, and he can feel Eridan grinding up in return. Dave can _really_ feel Eridan grinding up. He pulls back and looks down, finding Eridan’s bulge has writhed out from the fly of his boxers, freely twisting over Dave’s briefs.

Dave’s breath catches in his throat. The violet bulge is so thick and long, wet with some sort of viscous slime coating its length. Already, Dave can see it leaving splotches on his white briefs. 

“Hold still,” Dave whispers, fidgeting as he strips off his briefs. Slowly, he pulls Eridan’s boxers off, careful as he pulls the fabric down past the bulge. He tosses their underwear aside, before shifting down on the sheets to get a better look at Eridan’s foreign anatomy.

The bulge continues to twist around in the open air, trying to stimulate itself against something, anything. Just below is Eridan’s nook, dripping wet and giving off a soft scent of lavender. Dave figures that either Eridan regularly applies some pretty powerful products down here or there’s some freaky pheromone shit at work. Either way, he can’t resist the temptation to lean in, pressing a soft kiss against Eridan’s folds.

Almost immediately, Dave can feel Eridan’s thighs squeeze either side of his head, and Eridan’s letting out a soft moan. Slender fingers grasp at Dave’s hair, pulling him in closer and holding him in place. Dave has no choice but to oblige, pushing his tongue into Eridan’s cool, slick nook. Dave has next to no idea what he’s doing, sloppily pushing in and pulling back, before pressing a flutter of kisses and some licks to Eridan’s nook. All the while, thin drops of translucent violet fluid drip down from Eridan’s bulge and onto Dave’s shades and the lenses fog up. He pulls back, with Eridan’s permission, and slips his shades off, before diving back in. It’s an unusual experience, but judging by the sounds coming from Eridan, Dave seems to be getting the hang of this thing. It doesn’t hurt that Dave enjoys the experience as well, the lavender aroma clouding his senses. Okay, yep, definitely pheromones, but Dave doesn’t find anything wrong with that. Instead, he slowly pulls his head back. Eridan lets out a needy whine, but his grip loosens, allowing Dave to pull up and catch his breath.

“How was that?” Dave smirks, already knowing the answer to his question.

“I... mm…” Eridan stumbles over his words, eventually settling on a nonverbal answer as he spreads his legs apart, raising his knees.

Dave shifts forward on the bed, pressing his chest against Eridan’s. The head of his cock prods against Eridan’s dripping folds, and he can’t help but give a few more teasing grinds forward, drawing more beautiful noises from Eridan’s lips.

“Mmm, you want me, baby? Is that it?” Dave whispers in Eridan’s ear, leaning down to gently nip at his fins. “Beg for me, Eridan.”

Dave feels like he might be pushing the edge, like the slightest remark might bring back the snappy, emotional diva he’s known for the past few years. But what he gets is a pleasant surprise.

“Please, Dave, _please_!” Eridan whines, gently grinding up against Dave. “Just fuckin’ put it in already, please.”

“Shh, it’s okay.” Dave pushes his hips forward, slow but firm in his movement. The head of his cock pushes forward into Eridan’s nook, immediately feeling Eridan’s cool walls gripping him. It earns a deep, low groan of pleasure from Dave, trying his hardest to not immediately buck his hips in the midst of the pleasure.

Eridan’s moans are like music to Dave’s ears as he continues to push forward, rooting his hands on Eridan’s hips for support as he presses deeper. He can hear Eridan’s loud cries for mercy and relief, but Dave proceeds forward all the same. Eventually, he can feel the head of his cock pressing against _something_. It earns a particularly whorish moan from Eridan.

“Ngh... mm... ‘s a... _fuck_ , seedflap,” Eridan manages to get out between whines and moans, squeezing his eyes shut.

Holy shit.

Dave had dabbled in learning about troll anatomy here and there, and he was very familiar with the purpose of seedflaps. A quirk in troll anatomy, designed as a substitute for mating in the event of the Mother Grub’s death or the disappearance of drones. Part of Dave’s brain is having second thoughts about going in raw, and the other part of his brain is telling him to go full speed ahead.

The decision is pretty easy.

Dave begins to draw his hips back, slow and steady in his pace. As just the tip remains left in Eridan’s nook, he roughly bucks his hips forward, beginning a fast and firm pace of thrusting. Eridan lets out another cry and reaches around Dave, digging his claws into Dave’s back and shoulders. The pain feels spectacular, and he only picks up the pace as he pounds away. With every thrust downward, Dave’s balls slap down against Eridan’s cool body, the room quickly filled with the sounds of their carnal pleasure. Each thrust forward also brings the head of Dave’s cock shoving against Eridan’s seedflap, earning indescribably desperate sounds from Eridan’s lips.

Dave doesn’t know how long he can last. Eridan’s walls hold him so tight, so perfectly, as if they were made for this. The closest thing anything’s come to this was the odd (and shameful) use of a fleshlight, and even then, it didn’t compare to this. Eridan’s noises—pleas and begs for more—only further push Dave to that nearby edge. In the midst of it all, though, Dave hears something escape between Eridan’s moans and gasps.

“Ngh... ah... please say... you love me, Dave,” Eridan sobs, dragging his nails down Dave’s back.

Dave had never understood troll romance, the basic concepts and complicated intricacies being entirely alien in even the literal sense of the word. Romantic hatred and platonic romance had seemed like concepts that were entirely impossible to understand in the wiring of a human brain. But now, hearing the loud, fragile pleas from Eridan and recalling his teary eyes and quivering lip from earlier, the realization hits Dave like a truck.

Dave pities Eridan. Dave _pities_ Eridan. Dave is fucking _flush_ for Eridan in the most romantic sense of the word. He leans his head down, crushing their lips together as he bucks his hips forward as hard as he can. The head of his cock pushes past the tightness of Eridan’s seedflap, and Dave tumbles over the edge. He comes inside Eridan’s seedflap, his virile load pumped into Eridan’s fertile nook. Eridan emits some sort of noise, deep and guttural, from his chest as he wraps his legs around Dave’s waist, digging his heels into Dave’s body to lock him in place. Dave can feel Eridan’s body shake in pleasure, along with Eridan’s genetic material spilling from his bulge and onto their bodies.

Even after he rides out his climax, Dave stays in place, not wanting to move an inch. His frenzied crushing of lips gives way to a slow, gentle kiss as the two come down from their highs of pleasure. Eridan slowly unwraps his legs from Dave’s waist, pulling back to fully rest his head against the pillow.

“H-holy shit…” Eridan pants, shakily readjusting his glasses. “Really good…”

“Yeah,” Dave nods, leaning up to plant a kiss against Eridan’s forehead. “I know I was.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Eridan retorts, reaching up to gently shove at Dave’s chest. “Get offa’ me so I can go clean this disgustin’ bile outta my body.”

“Mm, you wanted that disgusting bile in you though. No use pretending otherwise, Ampora.” Dave obliges, however, slowly pulling out of Eridan. He lingers for a moment, watching as his load slowly drips out of Eridan’s nook.

“Cut that out,” Eridan snaps, closing his legs together. As he sits up, Dave notices the bright blush coming across Eridan’s face once more. Adorable. Pitiable. Lovable, even.

Has he just opened a massive can of worms by plowing his roommate into next week, without any protection, no less? Eh, probably. Does he care? Not in the slightest.

Instead of dwelling on any of that, Dave rolls out of bed, offering a hand to Eridan.

“As much as I wanna drift to sleep with us caked in each other’s drying respectively-to-one-another’s alien jizz, we should get cleaned off. Then, sleep.”

“Sounds fair to me,” Eridan says, placing his glasses on the nightstand and accepting Dave's hand.

Dave carries Eridan to their bathroom. It’s not for any sort of romantic gesture or intimacy this time; he just doesn’t want Eridan walking around, dripping everything onto the floor. This is about efficiency, that’s all. Eh, maybe a dash of romance. Just a pinch. Besides, with how Eridan’s legs tremble and quiver as Dave carries him, he figures Eridan isn’t in the shape to walk right about now.

Eridan does take a moment to steady himself on Dave’s shoulders when he’s set down in the shower, bracing himself for support. Dave is patient with him, letting him get stable, before turning on the shower to a blistering heat. It feels good, and Dave can only imagine how good it feels against Eridan’s cold, seadweller body. A soft shudder from Eridan confirms his suspicions, and Dave pulls Eridan in to hug under the stream of water.

“You could’ve done this earlier, you know?” Dave asks, drifting his hands down to playfully palm at Eridan’s ass.

“Hm? What are you talkin’ about?”

“Opened up to me, I mean. Didn’t have to try and lock yourself up in there and subsist on those meager interactions forever.”

Eridan is silent for a moment, before glancing down at the shower drain. “Just figured I’d fuck up yet another friendship if I tried. Fuck, I didn’t even know if we were friends or you were just bein’ polite by indulgin’ my incessant shit or what.”

“I... Hm.” Dave pauses for a moment, picking his words carefully. “I don’t know if we were actually- _actually_ friends or what, but I wanted to be your friend through it all and you apparently wanted to be my friend, and we were both trying, even if it was awkward as hell, so... Yeah, we’ll count that as friends. But nah, I wouldn’t have minded you coming onto me earlier, really. Worst I would’ve done is said no and let it go to my head that a weird alien royal wanted to bang.”

Eridan rolls his eyes, but he still leans in to press a kiss against Dave’s jaw. “Don’t get an ego here. After so many rejections, you learn to lower your standards.” The smirk that tugs at his lips confirms he’s joking, to Dave’s pleasure.

Eridan Ampora. Cracking smiles and telling jokes. Dave never thought he’d see the day. It’s a warm feeling, seeing him open up like this. When someone lets him open up. Dave gives Eridan’s ass a firm squeeze.

“How about a round two, Ampora?”

“‘m tired, actually. Just wanna clean off and call it a night, if that’s fine with you.”

Dave feigns a pout, but he relents and lets go of Eridan’s ass. Instead, he helps Eridan clean out his nook and washes the sweat and fluids off of their bodies. It’s nice, actually. It doesn’t hurt that this is the first shower Dave’s had in a few days.

Eridan dresses himself in his silk pajamas, placing some product in his hair to soften it. Dave tosses on a pair of boxes with a hole in the right thigh. After a change of sheets, they quietly settle into Dave’s bed together. Eridan curls himself up, pressing his back against Dave, and Dave loops an arm over Eridan, holding him close. Dave leans in to press a soft kiss to the back of Eridan’s neck, earning a soft fluttering of fins.

“G’night,” Eridan mutters over his shoulder.

“Night, Eridan. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Shit.” Eridan shifts out of Dave’s hold, fumbling as he grabs his glasses from the nightstand and slips them onto his face. “Stay here for a sec, I need to grab somethin’ real quick.”

Rather than ask questions, Dave lets Eridan do his thing. It’s easier that way. He sighs as he shifts up in bed, waiting for Eridan to get back. When he returns, he’s holding something in his hands, pushing it into Dave’s. Dave turns on the nightstand lamp, glancing over the card in his hands. It’s simple, complete with cliche gilded lettering on a generic forestry background. Opening the card reveals a wall of text, scrawled out in Eridan’s handwriting, though shakier than the usual grocery lists and Post-It notes hanging in the apartment.

_I know I’vve been a pretty scummy roommate for a wwhile, an for that I’m sorry. Truth is, I feel comfortable bein myself around you, evven if I’m nevver actually bein myself. I’m wworried it’ll make you realize howw fuckin broken an wweird I am, but I suppose that’s no wway to livve life. So I’m wwritin out this sappy shit to say I wwanna let you get to really knoww me an that I wwanna knoww you evven better, if that’s somethin you’d be fine wwith._

_— Eridan_

“I was gonna give this to you at lunch, an’ then I pussied out ‘cause I was scared, an’ then I got drunk outta some sense a’ regret, an’ then I broke a lotta shit while drunk, an’ now we’re here. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Dave closes the card and sets it on the nightstand. He pulls Eridan back into bed and presses a kiss to Eridan’s forehead, before pulling him into a hug.

“That’s some of the sappiest, most pitiable shit I’ve read,” Dave says, breaking the hug. “Thank you. Now, let’s get some sleep.”

Eridan resumes his position, and Dave pulls him in once more, holding him close. Dave feels Eridan’s breath slow, and soon, his is doing the same. Ignoring all the broken furniture and spilled alcohol, this Valentine’s Day wasn’t so bad. Far from it.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed, follow me on twitter at @fishliners!


End file.
